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Alberta medical students want cannabis tax to fund mental health …

A group of Alberta’s future doctors are calling on the provincial government to use cannabis tax revenue to fund mental health initiatives for youth.

At least, that will be the pitch when 40 medical students from the University of Alberta and University of Calgary get together Monday with MLAs from various parties.

The Alberta Medical Students’ Association has previously used its annual meeting at the legislature to push for investments in mental health, but this time the group wants funding for young adults and children at risk of adverse childhood experience. They are also calling for the formation of a cannabis and youth advisory board to work on future prevention, education and intervention efforts.

Howie Wu, speaking on behalf of the University of Alberta Medical Students’ Association, said those who are dealing with concurrent mental illness have a higher likelihood of falling into cannabis dependency, or may self-medicate with cannabis